TBE INDIANS OF THE NORTHWEST COAST. 369 



Naming. — Childrea are given more than one name, but the custom 

 varies somewhat in different localities. The first is applied soon after 

 birth by the mother, and is usually that of a maternal ancestor or near 

 male relative of the mother. Ancestral names are preserved with the 

 greatest care, this being favored by the custom of erecting mortuary 

 columns and preserving traditions of the prowess of ancestors. The 

 first name is conferred without any ceremony. An exception to this 

 has been noted in the adoption of a son as an heir by a wealthy chief, 

 where his sister takes the child and figuratively adopts it, the name of 

 a paternal (or adopted maternal, which is the same) ancestor is applied 

 to the child. The chief makes her a present, and when the boy grows 

 up it becomes his duty to also suitably remember or reward her. Where 

 parents are too poor to prepare feasts for their children they retain their 

 first name; but with families of wealth there are several ceremonies 

 which must be complied with to insure social standing to their children. 

 The first ceremony is a very expensive one, involving in former times for 

 the parents an enormous outlay. 



Piercing the nose and ears. — This most important ceremony is intended 

 to give social standing to the children, and involves, or formerly in- 

 volved (for the practice has almost gone out of date), the following de- 

 tails: (1) A house-building "bee"; (2) a potlatch ; (3) the bestowal of 

 a second name on the child or children ; (4) the freeing of slaves, and 

 (5) the piercing of the nose and ears, although not in the exact order 

 named. A new house is first built for its express celebration, feasts 

 being given during the progress, and dancing, singing, and gambling 

 being indulged in. The relatives and guests being all assembled, the 

 final ceremonies take place as follows: (During the period when slaves 

 were held a number of them equal to that of the children for whom 

 the celebration was given at this point received their liberty.) The 

 children are brought forward according to their age, and the incisions 

 made in the septum of the nose and the lobe of the ear with a sharp 

 instrument or awl of copper, bone, shell, or iron. A second name is 

 bestowed on each, which amongst the Haida is (according to Dawson) 

 for male children determined as follows : 



With the Haidas a first-born son may be called by the name of the mother's eldest 

 brother; the second born after the mother's second brother, or by one of the addi- 

 tional names of the first. Should the mother have no brother the name of some dead 

 friend is chosen, or in cases where tbe medicine man reveals the return of some one 

 forraerlj' dead in the new-born child, theuame of the person supposed to be thus return- 

 ing to the tribe takes precedence of all others. A chiefs son is named by its mother af- 

 ter consultation with a medicine man, whom she pays. He takes a night to think, and 

 mayhaps dream, about it. Thereafter he gives the name of a deceased male relative 

 on the mother's side, which is adopted. The ceremony of naming is witnessed by 

 many, and presents are given. * * * Four times in all a youth changes his name, 

 always taking one from his mother's family.* 



After the naming a feast takes place, followed by singing, dancing, 

 and a grand x^otlatch, when all disperse and the festival comes to an 



* Dawson, Report, p. 131. 



H. Mis. 42, pt. 2 24 



